Olivier Rousteing - Designer

[rowjellies]

I wonder what voodoo he’s done because how is he STILL at Balmain at this point. Especially given the short lifespan of creative directorships exit these days.

He’s somehow outlasted the tenures of Michele, Piccioli, Tisci.

 

[Olaffo]

I think bc he is hardworking humble dude with medium size ego irl + he got lesson from Lagerfed to stick around no matter what happens in the world. He is completely not my cup of tea as designer but he is successful at Balmain and I think he will stay there for next 10-15 years…

 

[Lola701]

I didn’t expect their first fragrance launch in years to be niche.
At this point the niche market is exhausted!

I expected a mainstream, blockbuster launch.
Their clientele will buy it but is it enough?

I wonder what voodoo he’s done because how is he STILL at Balmain at this point. Especially given the short lifespan of creative directorships exit these days.

He’s somehow outlasted the tenures of Michele, Piccioli, Tisci.

He is just a good professional. I’ve only heard good things about him. He has a sense of responsibility but also he knows the brand. When he joined from Cavalli in 2009, Balmain, while the buzziest brand in Paris, was very very very small. They had the original owners in place. So he has made the brand what it is today.
I like that he is slowly evolving in his aesthetic.
No matter what, his Balmain is not linear.

But tbh, I feel like he is the kind of « weird cat » in Paris. It’s hard to imagine him elsewhere. He is very skilled but I don’t think he is versatile.

 

[IndigoHomme]

He was such a pretty boy and now he looks like a mix of Barbara Streisand and a muppet.

For me, looks like a Whoopi Goldberg

 

[tourbillions]

no voodoo here. he can have taste problems but no one can deny that he is talented and has a very strong point of view. Unfortunately for decarnin fans if they exist, balmain is rousteing now and rousteing is balmain. Only other place i can see him if he somehow gets tired is jpg.

 

[LadyJunon]

I think that the factor differentiating Balmain from its contemporaries is that Balmain is privately owned. It was also a very small brand (around €20mn) without much of an identity (too similar to Dior and Balenciaga). Since Rousteing's appointement, the brand has grown to reach €300mn in revenue with 52 flagship stores across Europe, North America and Asia. I definitely see him staying at Balmain for another 15 to 20 years and building the brand into a mini-Chanel. I imagine that Della Valle has similar goals with Schiaparelli.

 

[vogue28]

Olivier exits Balmain:

 

[velvetdreamz]

The most overdue departure ever, God knows why they kept him so long

 

[reese06]

He can be proud of what he accomplished at Balmain.
There’s something very endearing about his conviction, even with all the missteps and questionable taste, he was never arrogant. Still, it was time for him to go. Let’s just hope the house doesn’t get cheapened in the process.

 

[carla56]

hope he stays away from every interesting maison, he has the worst taste ever.

 

[Salvatore]

Listen ... if Dario Vitale doesn't make it at Versace, I think Olivier could do something there. I doubt Prada Group would ever hire him, though.

It was long overdue for him to be gone from Balmain, but I am still shocked. I may not have always liked what he did at the house, but he should be proud of his tenure and hanging in there.

 

[Avonlea]

I am shocked. I can't imagine him at any other house. At this point Balmain is Rousteing. I will miss his tackiness and the old school approach to design. He liked glamour in it's most obvious form and was never ashamed of it. It was refreshing when every other designers tries to prove how intellectual and deep their work is.

 

[IndigoHomme]

Hedi Slimane thread in the top of the forum in 3, 2, 1....

 

[IndigoHomme]

edit by me

 

[Kanzai]

Always adore Olivier, wish him the best in the next chapter! I like him way more than Decarnin (sorry for saying this Ik Ik)

 

[hamburgers]

Hedi Slimane thread in the top of the forum in 3, 2, 1....

The concept of being able to identify Hedi stans in the wild by their Balmain hair extensions (clip-on bangs maybe?)

 

[AFWQ]

 

[AFWQ]

I am in complete shock with this news.
Sincerely thought this could an Lagerfeld x Chanel situation, because for me, Balmain is him.

 

[Lola701]

I mean the writings were on the wall…
He can be proud of himself. Him taking over was such a concours de circonstances and yet he pulled it off.
There’s something so ironic in the fact that while I have only heard great things about him, I haven’t liked his work except for his earlier collections and his 2 last collections.

I don’t know if his two last shows were him opening his possibilities post-Balmain.

It’s really difficult for me to see him anywhere else. The Qataris don’t own that much brands. He is a much more expensive act post-Balmain and maybe he needs another creative challenge that is more in line with what he did in his last 2 collections than trying to recapture the feeling of his earlier collections.

As for Balmain, Mayhoola has unlimited funds at this point so they can hire anyone.
There are enough big free acts out there for them to choose from.

They can literally choose anyone from Alexandre Vauthier, Riccardo Tisci and even (open the pandora box) Hedi Slimane.

 

[AFWQ]

source: https://www.glitz.paris/en/houses/2...utm_campaign=AUTO_EDIT_SOM_PROS&did=110347549